Feelin' hot, hot, hot...

August 23, 2007 12:49 PM

What affects our perception of chilli heat?

I thought it was all down to capsaicin, but my wife found today's curried chillies hotter than last night's meal, but with no discernible difference between green and red chillies, while I found the green surprisingly mild, and the red blew me away...

Is there a difference in the makeup of green & red chillies (same variety) which would account for our differing reactions? What about the drying process?

posted by monkey closet to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

If I read correctly, we are dealing here with yesterday's leftover curry? Capsaicin is soluble in oil. The overnight "stewing" means it had time to thouroughly dissolve in the curry's oil, which then makes a good job of spreading it out on your tongue, making it more "available", seemingly stronger. I once made a huge batch of chili with lots of jalapenos. The first might was good, but by the third day, it raised a 5 alarm fire in my mouth. Doesn't address the difference between red and green, though.
posted by bluefrog at 1:16 PM on August 23, 2007

Same type chillies can have huge differences in strength if grown in different climates and/or soil. Afaik green chilli is often just less ripe than red which would explain why it's not as potent.

I dont think drying makes much of a difference to strength.
posted by uandt at 1:36 PM on August 23, 2007

Also know that freezing said chile doesn't stop the "maturation" process.

Last year's August green chile that you've plucked from the icy depths of your freezer will be hot as blazes by this August.
posted by answergrape at 1:54 PM on August 23, 2007

Other foods with fat content (such as milk, sour cream, etc) will help dampen the sensation of "hotness," and carbonated drinks like beer will amplify it... so, differences in side dishes or beverages can also alter your perceptions.
posted by mek at 1:15 AM on August 24, 2007

As a general rule of thumb, the larger the chilli, the milder it is. Smaller chillies tend to be much hotter because they contain proportionally more seeds and veins than the larger varieties. Those seeds and veins can contain up to 80 per cent of a chilli's potency in the form of capsaicin, the powerful compound that gives chillies their fiery nature.

As neither cooking nor freezing reduces the intensity of capsaicin, removing the seeds and veins is the only way to reduce a chilli's heat.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_chilli.shtml
posted by Ness at 3:51 AM on August 24, 2007